Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1887-04-29
England's Fisheries Proposal.

Lord Salisbury's offer ought to go
far to convince President Cleveland
and secretary Bsyard how difficult it
is to settle serious difference Of
opinion by doing nothing. Two
years ago the United States denoun-
ced the fishery clauses of the treaty
of Washington, chiefly because they
admitted Canadian fish free. For
privileges which the change in the
methods Of fishing made of very little,
if any, value the United States had
paid under the Halifax award Sc, ,500,-
600 and remitted duties in the twelve
years from 1874 to 1885 whose esti-
mated value were placed by Senator
Frye at $685. 900. Unwilling to
continue this gift of duties, the Unit
ed States put an end to the treaty,
and Canada, backed by Great Britain
and aided by our own long suffering
diplomacy, has been endeavoring to
worry the United States into resum-
ing this arrangement by seizing its
fishing vessels and denying to them
the rights of trade and common hos
pitality.
This is the dispute in its simplest
form. Canada claims that it's nag
ging, of whose purpose the Canadian
press and Government have never
made secret, is within English
rights under the treaty of 1918, and
we have insisted it is not But the
real issue on which the last treaty
was terminated, as it is understood
by the industry directly Interested
the fishing interests of the North At
lantic coasts whether Canadian
fish are to pay duty or not. The
United States insists and always has
insisted that the treaty rights left
when the treat of Washington ended
gave our vessels all the privileges
they need to catch all the fish wanted
in the United States. When Canada
by the unfriendly execution of un-
friendly legislation-for she has alter
ed her laws to accomplish her purpose
attempts to force the United States
to change her customs laws to suit
Canadian fishermen, she has made
still more impossible the concession
of free fish.
Lord Salisbury, however, waving
aside the main issue, blandly pro-
poses that the United States, by way
of showing "that spirit of good will
and generosity which should animate
two great and kindred nations, etc."
should give Canada what she has
been worrying our fishing vessels to
secure. This concession, doubtless,
in the spirit which led President
Lincoln to urge one of his boys to
give the other plaything ''to keep
him quiet" would keep the Canadian
fishermen quiet; but, as the boy of
the first part told his father, II need
it to keep me quiet" Our fishermen
need existing duties on Canadian fish
to keep them quiet, and we are glad
to say they will have them. In the
temporary arrangement made to
bridge over the fishing season of
1885 the fishery clauses of the treaty
of Washington were allowed to
stand for the season, without the re-
mission of duties. and the action OF
the Senate year ago clearly showed
that no arrangement would be ac-
cepted by the treaty-making power
of our Government which comedies
the free fish for which Lord Salisbury
makes his plea.
Lord Salisbury, it is true, adds to
the apparent strength of his position
by his allusion to the award of the
Halifax Commission. Under it wo
paid $5, 100000 On q case falsely
stated by Canada, "faked" in short,
for tights which, as far as they are
worth anything under existing con-
ditions of trade, we have anyway.
We paid the money, however, and
when Lord Salisbury proposes to
forgive US now and hereafter for
having lost our case on that occasion
ne shows readiness to condone and
forget our loss and mishap which
does credit to his imaginative gener-
osity, but which the United States
can scarcely accept as an equivalent
for the concession it is asked to make
and which no power but Congress can
grant. "a sigh of melancholy despair"
is attributed to the State Department
over the proposition by friendly cor
respondent. We are not surprised.
Two years Of the diplomacy of Secre-
tary Baysrd and Minister Phelps
have not even given the English
Foreign Office comprehension of
our position. 1t has still to learn
what we ask, and Canada, mean
while, continues it's safe game of wor-
rying big neighbor into altering it's
tariff to admit Canadian 6sh.-Phila-
delphia Press.
Salt as tooth powder is better